"That would be too much responsibility," joked Gerard Mawn of Meiers Corners. But he does want to change it.

Mawn, who is planning the entertainment for this weekend's Pride Parade events, is an advocate for diversity, inclusion, and for Staten Island at large.

He and his partner, Angel Love-Figueroa, were among the first same-sex couples to be wed (without legal sanction) in City Hall.

"You don't take no for an answer, you find your way to a yes," he said. "I'm looking to find yesses -- not only in (the gay) community but for the whole community of Staten Island."

Mawn, 46, grew up in West Babylon, L.I., and lived in Manhattan for 13 years before he moved to Meiers Corners with his partner and two affectionate lap dogs, Lucky and Lola.

The Wall Street financial manager has worked as a theater director and as director of finance for a non-profit agency serving the visually impaired.

Volunteering for the Staten Island Pride Committee has recently been a full-time effort, and it's a project he became involved with this year because of the decision to move the parade from Midland Beach to Bay Street, the gateway to the North Shore.

"This is the biggest risk we've ever taken," said Mawn, "because we've never walked on the streets before. We have to be on the streets to show we are integrated into the community and part of its culture."

While committed to advocating for the gay community, Mawn says he doesn't want to be defined by his sexuality. He identifies at least as strongly as being Irish, a fan of Kylie Minogue, and a cheerleader for Staten Island.

"I would like to work as a promoter of Staten Island," he said, citing his love of its cultural institutions, from the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum to the Alice Austen House and the now-defunct Paramount theater in Stapleton. "I even love Target," he said with gusto. "We're here to invest in the community."

This weekend's Pride events kick off tomorrow night at the Staten Island Museum, 75 Stuyvesant Pl., St. George, with exhibit tours at 7 and a dance-party starting at 8.

The parade will be Saturday at noon, stepping off from the south-east side of the Municipal Parking Lot, St. George (Central Avenue at Slosson Terrace) and ending at the Cromwell Recreation Center, Tompkinsville. A free festival begins there at 1. Host Ron B as Tina Turner and headliner amberRose Marie will perform with a lineup of entertainers.

For more information, visit www.sihealthaction.org or lgbt@sihealthaction.org or call 718- 808-1360 or 718- 808-1351.